Can an Integrated Obstetric Emergency Simulation Training Improve Person-Centered Maternity Care? Results from a Pilot Study in Ghana

Patience Afulani , University of California, San Francisco
Raymond Aborigo, Navrongo Health Research Centre
Dilys Walker, University of California, San Francisco
Cheryl Moyer, University of Michigan
Susanna Cohen, University of Utah
John Williams, Navrongo Health Research Centre

Person-centered maternity care (PCMC) is maternity care that is responsive and respectful to women’s needs and values. It is a key dimension of quality capturing the experience dimensions of care. Poor PCMC contributes to high maternal mortality directly, as well as indirectly through decreased demand for services. While there is growing recognition of the importance of PCMC to maternal and child health outcomes, few evidence-based interventions exist on how to improve it. In this paper, we present the evaluation results of a pilot study in a rural district in Northern Ghana. The intervention was an integrated simulation-based provider training to improve PCMC and to better identify and manage obstetric and neonatal emergencies. The evaluation, based on surveys at baseline (N=215) and endline (N=318) with recently delivered women, showed improvements in PCMC scores as well as on the domains of dignity and respect, communication and autonomy, and supportive care.

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 Presented in Session 172. Improving Maternal and Newborn Health in Sub-Saharan Africa: Financing and Quality of Care